


Be Proud

by eddieklives



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Coming Out, Gay Richie Tozier, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier Loves the Losers Club, Richie Tozier's Stand Up Act, and he cries, and so am i, because fuck canon!, eddie is alive, happy national coming out day, i love richie so fucking much, in which richie tozier does a standup special for coming out day, richie said gay rights, richie tozier is in his feelings, so is stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26955820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddieklives/pseuds/eddieklives
Summary: [The laughing fades and the crowd goes silent as Richie asks for some time to bring up some important issues]“So, I wasn’t subtle at all when I scheduled this special to be shot on National Coming Out Day. I figured, hey, I’m really fucking gay, why make this subtle, you know?”
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 3
Kudos: 147





	Be Proud

**Author's Note:**

> A little special one shot for national coming out day.  
> Be proud <3

_[The laughing fades and the crowd goes silent as Richie asks for some time to bring up some important issues]_

“So, I wasn’t subtle at all when I scheduled this special to be shot on National Coming Out Day. I figured, hey, I’m really fucking gay, why make this subtle, you know?”

_[A few cheers can be heard from the audience.]_

“Thank you. It’s funny, it took me going back home, remembering the impending doom of being gay in buttfucking Derry, Maine – pun intended – _[laughs]_ and all the bullying and trauma I endured, for me to decide I needed to come out. On my own terms. Not outed at a goddamn arcade for wanting to play one more round of street fighter with another boy my age.

The bully was his cousin, redneck looking motherfucker, didn’t cut off his mullet in 30 fucking years, just so you could look at him and immediately know ‘oh, he is absolutely going to murder someone one day’ _[he pauses for the laughter]_ , and he **did.”**

_[Some audience members gasp.]_

“That was a very John Mulaney way to deliver that. I’m sorry, I forgot I am actually gay and don’t just look it.”

_[Snorts from the audience can be heard.]_

_[Richie raises his hands in defence.]_ “I can say that! He’s my friend! He said I could make that joke, I promise, please Mulaney, stans, please, have pity. Don’t come for me, that’s my boyfriend’s job!”

_[The audience laughs and groans.]_

“And we’re back to the sex jokes. You can’t escape this. No, what did you expect? I came out, I didn’t grow a brain.” _[Richie pauses to drink some water.]_ Speaking of my boyfriend, he’s sitting right there. _[He points at Eddie. Eddie shows him the finger. Richie shows his finger back.]_ I have to, no, I am **forced** to stop and drink water often, because he’s so sexy. Also, because he gets super pouty when I don’t drink enough water doing the show. He forgets I have to stand in this bitch for a whole hour and I can’t just leave to take a piss!”

_[The audience laughs and Richie can see Stan rolling his eyes but smiling proudly, Bev pinching Eddie’s thigh, Bill and Mike holding hands, Ben with his arm around Bev, and Eddie – his Eddie – watching him, with no idea that Richie would be proposing to him that very same night. He suddenly became very aware of how much his life had changed for the better just from having these 6 people back. How much stronger he felt, how he knew he wouldn’t be out, maybe even alive, if they hadn’t re-entered his life. He suddenly became overwhelmed with emotion and gratefulness.]_

_[Richie started to cry and covered his eyes with his right hand, as the left still grasped the microphone.]_ “Shit- Sorry.”

_[The entire audience awed.]_

“I’m not crying about the pee joke. _[The audience laughed.]_ Umm… My boyfriend told me not to cry for once, but I was put on this earth to constantly let him down. Dammit! Okay, okay, I’m fine! I’m just- I’m very aware of where I am and the people I am so grateful to have in my life, and add that to what day it is and where I came from and- I’m a crier, okay!”

_[The audience is smiling; some soft laughs can be heard. Richie feels his heart grow three sizes.]_

“I’m still just the little gay nerdy kid from Maine, I guess, in love with his middle school best friend but scared to absolute shreds that someone- **anyone** will figure it out. Some people did, five people did, they’re all in the audience. And those five people and my boyfriend, they saved my sorry ass more times than I could probably tell you. They saved me as a kid and they just keep on doing it as adults, they can’t get enough of me. _[He tries to lighten the mood. He hears sniffles from several audience members, not just his six best friends.]_ I wouldn’t be up here tonight, without them. I wouldn’t have come out. Fuck! I probably wouldn’t be alive. And it’s making me think, because… It’s National Coming Out Day and… I’m thinking. I’m thinking of those who loved and lost their lives because of it, who were and continue to be beat up and shamed, who wake up in a place where their existence is a crime, who raise the flag in the face of hatred and risk everything for the future generations to live in a safer world. And I’m thinking of the trailblazers, those who lead the way, those who threw the first bricks, those who made it so that I could be here today and just **say it**. I’m gay. But, most of all, I’m thinking of the ones who can’t say it, can’t come out, because they aren't safe, those who lay in bed at night terrified of what this means for their future, just like I did. I guess, I want to end this show by telling you that I love you, and that you will find your very own six people who will save you. Stan, my best friend, who is here tonight, wrote me in a letter once to ‘Be proud’, and I’ve been trying ever since. That’s what I want for any closeted gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, nonbinary, asexual, and every other letter- _[laughs softly]_ : be proud and be safe. Thank you everyone for being here, I’ve been Richie Tozier!”

_[The audience erupts in applause. Richie gets his first standing ovation ever. The losers run up to the stage and share a very teary but very grateful group hug. They would be alright.]_


End file.
